Miami Heat’s Matt Williams, left, talks with Bam Adebayo (13) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, in Miami. The Heat won 117-115. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

“That’s what I like about this training camp,” Spoelstra said in September. “This is the first time that no one will officially get cut. These guys are all part of our system and we wanted to develop them.”

The Heat began Saturday with the NBA preseason-maximum of 20 players on their roster. The deadline for NBA rosters to be cut down to the regular-season limit of 15 is Monday at 5 p.m, with most of the moves having to be made by Saturday because of the league’s 48-hour waiver period.

So, some Heat players did indeed end up on the chopping block. But the idea behind the no-cut camp is that each player on the roster will either stay with the Heat or move on to the Heat’s developmental-league affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Miami announced Saturday afternoon it waived wing DeAndre Liggins, and forwards Erik McCree and Tony Mitchell. Although the Heat’s roster is still at 17 after those cuts, their regular-season roster could be set because NBA teams can keep 16th and 17th players this season if they are signed to two-way contracts.

Point guard Derrick Walton Jr. already holds one of the team’s two allowed two-way contracts. Guard Matt Williams Jr. is expected get the other two-way deal, and he would occupy the 17th roster spot and avoid being waived.

In this scenario, Walton and Williams would spend most of the season in the G League with the Skyforce. Players under two-way contracts cannot spend more than 45 days per season on an NBA roster, with the remainder of their time to be spent with their team’s developmental-league affiliate.

“You’re guaranteed of continuing this development and the relationship,” Spoelstra said Thursday about the benefit of two-way contracts. “We felt frustrated at times in years past. You spend some time with these young players in summer league, the rest of the summer and training camp. You feel like you’re making some ground and you want to continue that process. But then you have to cut them and they’re up for grabs to everybody else even though we feel that we have a great selling point for players that really want to commit to player development and commit to our Sioux Falls program, that you can get better. Even if they’re not specifically under our rights.”

Williams’ 3-point shooting caught the Heat’s attention. The Central Florida product made 39 percent of his 3-point shots in eight games as a member of the Heat’s summer league team, and impressed by making 3-of-6 shots from long range in Wednesday’s preseason win over the Wizards.

As for Liggins, McCree and Mitchell, they are all on track to end up with the Sioux Falls Skyforce if they are not claimed by another team and signed to an NBA contract. If McCree and Mitchell do head to Sioux Falls, they would be the only players in this group who count toward the Heat’s four affiliate roster spots.

Larry Drew II, who was waived by the Heat on Thursday, and Liggins can join the Skyforce as returning players.

This sequence of moves means Hammons is still on the Heat’s roster. After McGruder was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left tibia a few days ago, some wondered if the Heat could afford to carry an extra big man in Hammons with Whiteside, Olynyk, Adebayo, James Johnson, Mickey and Haslem already part of Miami’s power rotation.

But parting ways with Hammons would cost the Heat. Hammons, a 25-year-old center acquired from Dallas this summer in the Josh McRoberts trade, is under contract for two more years at $1.3 million for the upcoming season and $1.5 million for 2018-19. If the Heat decide to waive him, all of that money would still count against their salary cap for both seasons.

So as of now, Spoelstra’s no-cut camp seems like a reality with Drew, Liggins, McCree, Mitchell, Walton and Williams on track to end up with the Skyforce.

“We handpicked these guys to develop and to be part of our program,” Spoelstra said in September. “So that’s the way I’ve always viewed Sioux Falls since we’ve taken over, is that’s our program. Players that we’ve developed, that we send there, I’ve always said, ‘We’re transitioning them, we’re not cutting them.’ … So this is fun. It’s a good feel to it. The guys know that we’re investing our time, our resources in them. I’m sure they would love to have an opportunity to make our squad. That’s understandable, but the biggest, more important fact is we’re here to develop them.”

[…] cut its roster from 20 to 17 Saturday when it waived wing DeAndre Liggins, and forwards Erik McCree and Tony Mitchell. Liggins, McCree and Mitchell all are expected to join Williams and Walton in Sioux […]

[…] The Heat converted Williams’ contract to a two-way deal on Oct. 15, as his 3-point shooting caught Miami’s attention. The Central Florida product made 39 percent of his 3-point shots in eight games as a member of the Heat’s summer league team, and impressed by making 3-of-6 shots from long range in a preseason win over the Wizards on Oct. 11. […]